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The clauses in red are mandatory clauses of the constitution, as required by the Students’ Association.

Theatre Paradok Constitution

Article 1: Introduction

1.1. Official Title

  1. The Society shall be known as Theatre Paradok, hereinafter referred to as the Society.
  2. The Society may also be known as Paradok, both titles having equal validity

 1.2. Aims

The aims of the society shall be:

  1. To encourage experimentation, inclusivity, originality, education and outreach in all of its projects. 
  2. To function as a unit working on a group project throughout the semester emphasising the importance of involvement from all members at all levels of production, from suggesting ideas to helping in the actual staging of the production.
  3. To offer, where possible, smaller-scale opportunities to perform and produce, open to all members but particularly those who are not involved in the larger project.
  4. To ensure that the members can be proud of all productions.
  5. To provide a welcoming social atmosphere of like-minded individuals who are interested in all aspects of the arts.
  6. To have fun!

1.3. Alteration

  1. Any motion to alter the Constitution is considered a Special Motion, meaning it will have to be supported by two-thirds of the members present at the AGM or EGM, 14 days notice of which shall be given.
  2. The Students’ Association considers the ruling society constitution to be that which is displayed on the Society Profile.

1.4. History

This Constitution was accepted at the AGM held on the 25st of April 2025.

Article 2: Membership

2.1. Forms of Membership

  1. Full Membership of the Society is open to all matriculated students of Edinburgh University.
  2. Membership shall be at least 75% matriculated students of Edinburgh University.
  3. Full membership lists should be filed with the Activities Office at least once per semester to ensure membership databases are up to date.
  4. If any dispute of membership should arise, the list registered through the Students’ Association database will be used as the official list.
  5. Membership is also open to any non-students and students from other Universities who are interested in the Society.
  6. Full-year and Semester 2 membership expires on the first day of Welcome Week of the following Academic Year.
  7. Semester 1 membership expires on the first day of teaching of semester 2.

2.2. Membership Fee

  1. There are both an annual membership fee and a single-semester membership fee.
  2. The membership fees are set for the next year at the Annual General Meeting.
    1. In the case that this does not happen, the membership fees will default to the amount it was the year before. 
  3. Both the annual membership fee and the per-semester membership fee can be changed by a Standard Motion at a General Meeting.

2.3. Membership Entitlements

  1. The ability to be involved in the running of the society by attending General Meetings and Committee Meetings, proposing motions and running for Committee.
  2. To be on a proposal for a production.
  3. To take part in a production in any way.
  4. To be eligible for discounted tickets for Paradok performances.

2.4. Membership Responsibilities

  1. To act in accordance with the Member Conduct, as outlined in the following section.
  2. To ensure being part of a production is enjoyable for both others and themselves.
  3. To ensure everyone’s well-being is prioritised, to actively solve problems and conflicts that may arise, and to inform the Welfare Contacts when necessary.
  4. To aim to create experimental and innovative work of a high standard.
  5. To act in good faith when running for a position on Committee. This includes not recruiting non-members to vote for themselves or other candidates.

2.5. Member Conduct

All members shall act in good faith towards the Society and its members. This means they shall:

  1. Make sure the Society is welcoming and inclusive to all, including beginners and those less experienced with theatre.
  2. Not actively or deliberately create any welfare issue.
  3. Not deliberately act against the long and short term-interests of the Society.
  4. Not act in a manner which brings the Society into disrepute.
  5. Not cause damage to Society property or venues used for Society events. 
  6. Act within the letter and the spirit of this Constitution.
  7. Act within the law.
  8. Act safely and responsibly.
  9. Not engage in illegitimate funding resources, money that is not raised with and through Paradok e.g. large donations from relatives.
  10. Follow the University of Edinburgh Code of Student Conduct.
  11. Follow the Equal Opportunities Policy outlined in section 7.3.

2.6. Breach of Member Responsibilities (and Conflict Resolution)

  1. Any Committee member may, after consultation with a Welfare contact present, issue a warning to any member or guest who disturbs a Society meeting or event, causes distress or harm to other members, or brings the Society into disrepute. If the warning is ignored, that person may be removed from the event.
  2. The Committee together may impose sanctions for misconduct on members, based on verifiable evidence collected, taking into account the seriousness of the misconduct with reference to the membership responsibilities and standard code of conduct, any previous warnings, and any mitigating circumstances. When appropriate the following sanctions may be applied:
    1. Informal Warning
    2. First Written Warnings will be issued for a minor offence or complaint;
    3. Final Written Warnings will be issued for: a further offence or complaint or if the conduct of the member failed to improve following a previous warning, or if the actions are serious enough to warrant a Final Written Warning.
    4. Removal from membership will occur if there is a further serious event of misconduct, or if the conduct of the member failed to improve following a previous written warning, or if the member committed an act of gross misconduct.
    5. Edinburgh University Students’ Association (“the Students’ Association”) Societies department will be notified upon removal of a member and provided with a copy of the evidence pertaining to the sanctions process and removal. All persons removed from membership may appeal to the Societies’ department against such removal.

2.7. Welfare

  1. A Welfare issue is defined as anything that:
    1. Is, has, or may affect the wellbeing, physical health, mental health, safety, or academic development of any member or attendee of a Paradok event, or
    2. Involves the bullying, harassment, coercion, assault or intimidation of (or by) of any member or attendee of a Paradok event.
  2. There will be a number of Society Welfare Contacts:
    1. After the new Committee has been elected, the Committee chooses at least two Committee Welfare Contacts from amongst themselves.
    2. At a General Meeting at the start of semester 1, the company elects one or more Company Welfare Contacts. They may not be an Office Bearer, and they must step down if they take up an Office Bearer role. Their term expires once the new Company Welfare Contacts are elected, or until they are recalled by a vote at a General Meeting.
  3. The Society Welfare Contacts will perform the following duties:
    1. Supporting anyone affected by Welfare Issues.
    2. Work to anticipate and prevent Welfare Issues.
    3. Maintain and publicise Welfare policies, with the input of the membership.
  4. Additionally, there will be Production Welfare Contacts on every Production. The procedures for determining the Welfare Contacts on a show are outlined in section 5.8. When the Production Welfare Contacts do not feel comfortable dealing with a Welfare Issue that has been brought to them, they must, with the permission of the parties involved, ask the help of a Society Welfare Contact.
  5. When dealing with Welfare Issues, the Welfare Contacts should be cautious and tread with sensitivity and discretion. They should be aware of the limitations in their training and experience, and not take any actions that risk worsening the Welfare Issue or creating new ones. The wellbeing of the people already affected, and their wishes regarding confidentiality, should be prioritised.
  6. If a Welfare Contact themselves is involved, named, or directly implied to be part of the cause of a Welfare Issue, they should not be involved with handling the Welfare Issue.
  7. When dealing with a Welfare Issue, the Welfare Contacts must:
    1. Consider the welfare and dignity of all involved.
    2. Act calmly and fairly, without any prejudice towards any irrelevant distinctions.
    3. Consider any relevant mitigating circumstances, in addition to the seriousness of any alleged misconduct.
    4. Collect as much evidence and documentation about the allegation, the context and the reaction processes as possible while respecting data protection regulations, personal boundaries, and the dignity of those involved.
  8. The order of seriousness for dealing with a Welfare Issue will be as follows. The Welfare Contacts can skip one or more of these steps if they deem that necessary.
    1. De-escalate the dispute with mediation, feedback and discussion.
    2. Bring up the issue internally, within the rules outlined in the rest of this section.
    3. Refer the incident to an external body, such as EUSA.

Article 3: Management

3.1. The General Committee

  1. The business of the Society shall be managed by a Committee of Office Bearers.
  2. Any full student member of the Society shall be entitled to sit on the Committee.
  3. The Office Bearers must be members of the Society and a matriculated student of Edinburgh University.
  4. All Office Bearers will complete annual online training as outlined by the Activities Team.
  5. No Office Bearer may hold multiple Committee roles simultaneously.
  6. Several people can hold a role simultaneously. When voting during Committee meetings, they only get one vote between them. If they disagree, they are considered to abstain from the vote.
    1. They can run together. This decision can only be made during or before the nomination period. After elections and with permission of the current holder(s) of the role, additional people can be added to the role by Standard Motion at a GM.
  7. The term of office for all Office Bearers will start on the first of April of the year the Annual General Meeting is held.
  8. The term of office will end on the last day of March (inclusive) of the year following the AGM.
  9. During their first month, or until the first of April if the AGM takes place more than one month before the start of April, every incoming Committee Member will be trained by their respective predecessor. 
  10. Previous committee members are to make themselves available for consultation, especially during The Fringe, as far as is reasonable and practical. 
  11. The Committee Members are elected at the Annual General Meeting as described in section 3.6
  12. If one or more of the committee positions is not fulfilled at the AGM, the empty positions will be open for election at the next General Meeting. As long as the position remains unfulfilled, it will be up for election when a General Meeting occurs.
  13. If one of the Office Bearers resigns or is removed from their position according to the procedure outlined in the Disciplinary Action section, the position will be treated as unfulfilled and it will be open for election according to the procedure outlined above.

3.2. Duties of the Committee

  1. Facilitate the functioning of the society as a whole.
  2. Support the Production Teams in organising every production and help them where necessary.
  3. Encourage experimentation, inclusivity, originality, education and outreach in all Paradok events.
  4. Approve all decisions pertaining to budget, publicity, scheduling, ticket prices, and venues. 
  5. Help organise events during Welcome Week, and, if possible, Give it a Go week.
  6. Know the Constitution and keep the Constitution in line with the running of the society.
  7. Perform a yearly risk-assessment of the Society’s activities.
  8. Publicise a committee list, with or without corresponding pictures by the end of Freshers Week. 

3.3. Executive Office Bearers

  1. The Committee must consist of a President, Secretary, and Treasurer (the Executive Officers) as a minimum.
  2. No person may be elected to more than one of these three posts simultaneously.

3.3.a. President

  1. The President will chair the Committee and General Meetings.
  2. The President is responsible to the Annual General Meeting and the General Committee and is ultimately responsible for the conduct of the Society.
  3. It is the President’s responsibility to ensure the Society has submitted their annual report, risk assessment and reregistration forms to the Activities Office.
  4. The President will help out other Committee members where necessary and will make sure every Committee member is able to do well in their role.

3.3.b. Treasurer

  1. The Treasurer shall be accountable to the committee and members for the finances of the society.
  2. The Treasurer shall keep and prepare Accounts of the Society and provide a provisional budget, as exhaustive as possible, to be presented at the Annual General Meeting.
  3.  It is the Treasurer’s responsibility to ensure the annual financial report is complete and submitted along with the society’s annual report.
  4. The Treasurer will work together with the Fundraising Coordinator to manage any donation based or crowdfunding pages for productions, should they be used. They should regularly monitor the transactions within it.

3.3.c. Secretary

  1. The Secretary shall be responsible for the administration of the society.
  2. The Secretary shall also be responsible for any correspondence within or on behalf of the Society, such as announcements and newsletters. 
  3. The Secretary shall organise the Committee Meetings and General Meetings. This includes preparing the agendas of and minuting every Committee Meeting and General Meeting.

3.4 Non-Executive Office Bearers

  1. In addition to the Executive Office Bearers, the committee aims to have a Fundraising Coordinator, a Marketing Coordinator, a Productions Coordinator, a Social Secretary, a Technical Coordinator, and a number of Ordinary Members.

3.4.b. Fundraising Coordinator

  1. The Fundraising Coordinator will assist the Producers in organising fundraisers for their shows.
  2. The Fundraising Coordinator will also work closely with the Producers and Treasurer to set and reach a fundraising target.
  3. The Fundraising Coordinator will work together with the Social Secretary when organising fundraisers for the society.
  4. The Fundraising Coordinator will work together with the Treasurer to manage any donation based or crowdfunding pages for productions, should they be used. 

3.4.c. Marketing Coordinator

  1. The Marketing Coordinator is responsible for the society’s marketing, such as flyers and posters, as well as overseeing the use of social media to promote the society. 
  2. The Marketing Coordinator will work with the Producers to arrange appropriate publicity for the production.

3.4.d. Productions Coordinator

  1. The Productions Coordinator is responsible for overseeing and ensuring the smooth running of the production of all shows.
  2. The Productions Coordinator will be available as a guide to every production team, in addition to the Committee Mentors.
  3. The Productions Coordinator is responsible for leading the discussion in scheduling shows. Once the Committee has decided on the schedule, the Production Coordinator is responsible for relaying the appropriate information to show teams.
  4. The Productions Coordinator shall organise the proposal process for shows. They are responsible for opening proposal calls, setting up a submission form, and publishing the proposals to the members.
  5. The Productions Coordinator must have experience in producing, at least partially within the Edinburgh Student Theatre scene. 

3.4.e. Social Secretary

  1. The Social Secretary is responsible for organising and hosting regular society social events throughout the term to help bring members together.
  2. The Social Secretary will work with the Fundraising Coordinator to organise fundraising events.

3.5.f. Technical Coordinator

  1. The Technical Coordinator is the main point of contact on the Committee regarding technical matters. They represent the technicians in the society.
  2. The Technical Coordinator is a point of contact for show teams, especially the Technical Managers, on technical matters and backstage matters.
  3. The Technical Coordinator should have experience in tech and/or backstage

3.4.g. Ordinary Member

  1. The Ordinary Members are elected to assist the committee with their duties and/or to function as a bridge between the committee and the wider membership.
  2. Ordinary Members are encouraged to take up one or more of the support roles.
  3. There can be at most 3 Ordinary Members. If the amount of Ordinary Members is lower than that, the position does not have to be up for election at an EGM, but it is allowed.
  4. Ordinary Members all get an individual vote in committee meetings, even if there are more than 1.

3.4.h. Webmaster

  1. The Webmaster is responsible for maintaining the website.
  2. The Webmaster works with the Marketing Coordinator to keep the website style and design in line with the Paradok brand.
  3. The Webmaster works with the Marketing Coordinator and Secretary to publicise marketing material for events and society communications.

3.4.i. Optional Role – Vice President 

  1. The Vice President will discuss a specific role split with the President, and come to a mutual understanding. They must communicate this with the rest of the committee.
  2. The Vice President will act as an alternate chair for Theatre Paradok meetings. 
  3. The Vice President will support the President with overall conduct of Theatre Paradok.
  4. The Vice President will serve as the deputy to the President and is responsible for carrying out the President’s authority when requested or during their short-term absence.

3.5. Support Roles

  1. The Support Roles assist the committee with specific tasks that are deemed to be too small to be a separate Committee role. The people in these roles are not an Office Bearer, and not part of the Committee. They are subjected to the same disciplinary action, but they do not need to attend committee meetings.
  2. The Committee may ask a member to fulfil one or more support roles. The Committee may also open up a support role for election. This may only be done after an AGM, to prevent the previous Committee from deciding about next year’s Support Roles.  
  3. Multiple members, with no established limit, are allowed to hold the same Support Role simultaneously.
  4. A member may hold multiple Support Roles at once, and hold one or more of these roles while being an Office Bearer.
  5. If someone was appointed to a Support Role, the Committee can vote to remove them from the role. If someone was elected, the holder can only be removed using the recall procedure. The holder of a Support Role can always step down.

3.5.f. Archivist

  1. The Archivist is responsible for documenting all activities put on by the society, such as performances, socials, and events, that happen while they are in the role. 
  2. The Archivist is responsible for maintaining the archive of Paradok’s past activity. 
  3. The Archivist is encouraged to look for information on Theatre Paradok’s previous activities, and work with the Webmaster to include these in the archive.
  4. The Archivist is encouraged to work together with the Secretary to maintain an archive of previous and current meeting minutes.

3.5.g Education Coordinator

  1. The Education Coordinator is responsible for organising events in which members can develop themselves and their skills. They do not have to run these themselves, but can delegate that to other members or external parties.
  2. The Education Coordinator is the main person responsible for organising a variety of workshops throughout the academic year. They will work together with other Committee members, especially the Social Secretary and the New Writing Contact, where appropriate.
  3. The Education Coordinator can also organise a course consisting of multiple sessions, or organise other activities that help members develop themselves, such as setting up a physical theatre group.

3.5.h. New Writing Contact

  1. The New Writing Contact is responsible for supporting people who want to write their own plays or put on their own plays with Theatre Paradok.
  2. The New Writing Contact can also organise a writers group or writing workshops, working with the Education Coordinator and Social Secretary where appropriate.

3.6. Elections

  1. Any newly elected Office Bearers will be communicated to the Societies Team after the election has taken place.
  2. All Office Bearer roles shall be subject to election annually at the AGM.
  3. All members who are matriculated students of the University of Edinburgh shall be entitled to stand and to vote in elections.
  4. Any member of the Society can run for a vacant position on the Committee they meet the requirements for.
  5. A member who wants to run for a position must announce that they are running when the voting overseer opens the nomination process for the position they are interested in.
  6. Every candidate gives a speech and then takes questions from the room. Members who are running cannot be in the room while other candidates for the same position give their speech and answer questions.
    1. If a candidate knows ahead of time that they can not attend the GM, they may inform the Secretary of their candidacy in advance of the GM and record a video message to be shown at the GM. They can also attend the GM by video connection. 

3.7. Committee Conduct

  1. Maintain the standards expected of the members.
  2. Ensure that both the Committee duties and individual duties are carried out, personally or (if appropriate) by an assistant or another appropriate person.
  3. Be open and honest with the Society members regarding their Committee duties.
  4. Be consistent in their decision-making and not offer or provide preferential treatment to any individual members or groups of members.
  5. Attend at least half of the Committee Meetings every semester. 

3.8. Disciplinary Action

  1. Committee Members can be subjected to the same disciplinary action as laid out for all members in the Breach of Membership Responsibilities section.
  2. The members have the right to remove one or more Office Bearers from office by a vote of No Confidence, which is a Standard Motion at a General Meeting. This is also called a recall election. The Committee, excluding the Office Bearer(s) in question, are allowed to participate in this vote. This motion must be announced at least 7 days before the start of the General Meeting.
    1. Votes of No Confidence apply to individual Office Bearers, not a position. If multiple people share a role, it is possible to recall just one of them, and it is necessary to submit multiple motions if you want to recall more than one. 
  3. Grounds for the No Confidence vote may be founded on the failure of any Office Bearer to comply with the terms of the Constitution, especially those outlined in the Committee Conduct section, or for any other reason deemed legitimate by the General Meeting. 
  4. After a successful vote of No Confidence, the now-vacant Committee positions will be open for immediate election. The removed Committee member(s) cannot re-run for the position during the same General Meeting.

3.9. Unexpected Circumstances

  1. In the case of a situation where this Constitution does not provide an answer, the Committee has the right to make a decision. If the company does not agree with this decision, they may override it by petitioning for a General Meeting and submitting a Standard Motion. The Committee must state that the company has the right to override their decision when they publish their decision.
  2. If a situation makes it impossible to follow the Constitution, the Constitution must be amended so that the conflict is removed.
    1. While the Constitution is not being followed, the company is allowed to seek disciplinary action against the Committee, but encouraged to only do so if they think the committee abuses their power. Instead, they are encouraged to put forward a motion to override the decision as explained above.

Article 4: Meetings

4.1 Meeting Procedure

  1. Every meeting will be moderated by a member, who will be called the Chair.
    1. By default, the Chair will be the President. The President can appoint someone else to be the chair if they cannot make it to the meeting. If there is no Chair, the members at the meeting will informally agree on a Chair.
  2. All meetings will be minuted by a member, who will be called the Clerk. These minutes will record all decisions and votes and will be an accurate record of the meeting.
    1. By default, the Secretary is the Clerk. If they are absent, the Chair will appoint a clerk.
  3. When the meaning of a clause in the constitution is disputed during the meeting, the Chair will decide how the clause shall be understood. Any member present may put forward an alternative interpretation, which has to be supported by at least two-thirds of the members present to be used.
  4. Anyone present at the meeting who obstructs the passage of the meeting or consistently acts against the constitution can be asked to leave by the Chair. Any member may propose that the member can remain, which requires a simple majority to pass.

4.2. Committee Meetings

  1. There must be at least one Committee Meeting every two weeks during term-time. Additional Committee Meetings can be called by the President.
  2. The quorum for decisions at a Committee Meeting to be legitimate is 4 Committee members.
  3. Committee Meetings are open for members to attend. If the majority of the Committee at a Committee Meeting decides that a topic, for example a welfare issue, is too sensitive to be discussed with the membership present, they can temporarily ask the members to leave the room.
    1. The Committee can also hold a meeting without any members present, but this does not count towards the requirement outlined in 4.1.a.

4.3. General Meetings

  1. There are two kinds of General Meetings: The Annual General Meeting, and Extraordinary General Meetings.
  2. There shall be at least one General Meeting every semester.
  3. All members of the society are entitled to attend General Meetings.
  4. The Secretary must ensure that members receive at least 14 days written or email notification of the General Meeting. The Committee must take reasonable measures to notify the members through Social Media and the newsletter.
  5. The quorum for General Meetings shall be 10% of the current membership or 20 members, whichever is lower. For any decisions made at the GM to be legitimate, this quorum has to be reached.
  6. By default, the President is the Chair of the General Meeting and the Secretary is the Clerk.
  7. The Chair and Clerk must nominate someone else to hold their position if they want to actively participate in a discussion.

4.4 Annual General Meeting

  1. The Annual General Meeting must take place between week 6 and 12 of Semester 2, and at least 1 week in advance of the Society Re-Registration deadline, as mandated by EUSA guidelines.
  2. The outgoing Treasurer will present an up to date financial report outlining the finances for the past year and a complete account of the current state of finances. Additionally, they must present an accurate breakdown of the financial commitments the Society has made for the upcoming year, known as the Budget.

4.5. Extraordinary General Meeting

  1. The President may call an Extraordinary General Meeting for matters arising in the course of the year which require consideration by members. For example, a new round of proposals, a motion, or election for a vacant committee position.
  2. A petition of members equal to the quorum for a GM (see 4.2f) can also call an EGM by submitting a request to the secretary. 
  3. Following the receipt of such a request by the Secretary, the Committee shall have seven (7) days to decide on a date, time and location for the EGM, which must be held within twenty-one (21) days following the receipt of the request.

4.6. Voting during General Meetings

  1. All votes during General Meetings will be held using a secret ballot.
  2. The vote can take place using either paper ballots or an online system.
    1. In the case of paper ballots, the votes must be counted by two impartial members and everyone should be able to watch the count take place. 
    2. In the case of an online vote, anyone should be able to watch the administration side of the voting platform both during and outside the General Meeting. 
  3. The full breakdown of the results of all votes must be published to the members within a week after the General Meeting.
  4. All votes with two options will have an abstain option.
  5. All votes with more than two options will be held using Single-Transferable Voting (STV) using the Droop Quota formula, including a “None of the Above” option.
    1. All options which rank lower than “None of the Above” will not be chosen. This can result in a position staying vacant or no shows being selected.
  6. Members who cannot attend a General Meeting can inform the Secretary of this before the meeting, and are entitled to a vote by proxy. Each member can only be the proxy for one other member.
  7. All votes will be overseen by a Voting Overseer
    1. The Voting Overseer should not influence the election or its result and should not make false claims about the results.
    2. By default, the Secretary will be the Voting Overseer. If the Secretary themselves is running for a position, the Committee can choose any impartial member of the society who is not running to oversee the voting, including a different Committee Member. The Committee is encouraged to choose someone to oversee voting before the General Meeting starts to ensure the new overseer can be adequately instructed.
    3. If any attendee disagrees with whoever oversees the voting, they can nominate someone else to oversee the voting, which will be run as if it were a normal election, with the original Voting Overseer also being a candidate. Other members can also nominate other members to participate in this election.
    4. If the Voting Overseer wants to run for a position during a GM or submit a motion, they have to put forward a Standard Motion to allow them to do so, which must pass by a majority in a secret ballot. Any member can request the votes for this ballot to be counted by a different member than the current Voting Overseer.
  8. Counting STV votes with more than two candidates must be done using STV calculator software to prevent mistakes during the count.
  9. In the event of a tie, the vote will be run again. If there is still a tie, the Chair can break the tie or decide to determine the winner randomly.

4.7. Motions

  1. There are two types of motions that can be passed at a General Meeting: Standard Motions and Special Motions
    1. A Standard Motion requires a simple majority of 50% of the votes, not counting abstentions, to be passed. All motions are Standard Motions, unless explicitly stated otherwise by the Constitution.
    2. A Special Motion requires a two-thirds majority of the votes, not counting abstentions, to be passed.
  2. Motions supported by the necessary majority at a quorate General Meeting are binding for the society.
  3. Motions to be discussed must be presented to the Secretary at least 72 hours in advance of the GM.

Article 5: Projects

5.1. Classifications

  1. Semester Production: The main show that happens each semester. The aim of the Semester Production is to enable everyone who wants to get involved, to get involved. It should be ambitious in terms of scale.
  2. Fringe Production: A production that happens at the Edinburgh Fringe.
  3. General Project: These can be anything, and are not limited to just theatre.
  4. Any other classification that the Committee wants to open proposals for, such as a festival submission. 

5.2. Project Criteria

  1. The project must spark joy.
  2. The project cannot jeopardise or increase the difficulty of other projects in the future.
  3. The project must be technically and logistically feasible to be completed by the team, within the constraints of the society’s finances and access to resources.
  4. The proposed project is unlikely to cause a welfare issue, for example due to its content, its team members, or its plans.
  5. The project must be in line with the aims of the society, as outlined in section 1.2. 
  6. The project must not cause the society to fall into disrepute.
  7. The proposal must adhere to the aims and ethos of the society, the safe-space policy, EUSA regulations, Scots, and UK law and the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

5.3. Project Proposals

  1. The Productions Coordinator will open a call for proposals. This call will include the details and requirements of the classifications that are open for proposals. General projects, which do not represent a specific classification, must always be included. The Productions Coordinator will also specify a deadline to submit the proposal, which can be extended at the Productions Coordinator’s discretion.
  2. The submitted proposal must include a summary of the project, answers to the proposal questions as specified by the Productions Coordinator, and a budget that has been discussed with the Treasurer.
  3. Every proposal must have been presented and discussed at a Committee meeting before the General Meeting takes place. The Committee will approve the proposal by a simple majority Committee Approval Vote and allow it to be proposed at a General Meeting if:
    1. It has a sound financial plan for the current state of Paradok.
    2. It does not clash with any project that has already been approved at a General Meeting, without permission from the already-scheduled projects.
  4. The Committee decides in advance of the General Meeting how many shows of each classification can be put on and they can support, based on the proposal discussion that took place at the Committee Meetings. 

5.4. Proposing at the General Meeting

  1. The project proposal team shall propose the project to the rest of the members at a GM, and answer questions from other members afterwards.
  2. The members must discuss any merits or drawbacks of the project before voting, through discussion moderated by the chair, and minuted by the clerk for later reading. The Production Team can be in the room for the entirety of the proposal discussion, and they can be asked questions when necessary. 
  3. If a member wants to bring up an issue but does not want to identify themselves, they can raise the issue with a present Welfare Contact or the Chair. They can maintain confidentiality by messaging or emailing.
  4. The members are obligated to reject a project if it fails a check by the Project Criteria in section 5.2.
  5. The GM Approval vote will be done via a simple motion procedure. The Production Team cannot participate in this vote. If a majority votes in favour of the project, the project is approved. If a majority rejects, then the Production Team can return with a revised proposal and re-propose. This can be done at most twice in the same meeting.
  6. If there are more projects applying for a classification than the Committee decided they can support, there will be a vote between all the approved projects to decide which projects will be put on. The Production Teams can participate in this vote.
    1. If there is a tie, both teams are encouraged to work out a solution in collaboration with the Committee. If they cannot come to an agreement, the usual procedure for a tie will be followed.
    2. Production Teams are encouraged to have an alternative plan at hand in case they are unsuccessful in the preference vote. For example, a smaller scale and lower budget version of their show. The Committee must let members know of this possibility when proposals open.The alternative version can be proposed and voted upon at the same meeting.

5.5. Production Team

  1. When opening proposals, the Committee will determine which roles are required for each open classification, and under which conditions these roles are required. 
  2. The Production Team is encouraged to find assistants for each role. This will decrease the workload as well as give new members the opportunity to learn.

5.6. Cast

  1. Casting must only select on criteria that matter, and the Production Team must strive to be as inclusive as they can when casting.
  2. During casting, at least three people should be present at all times. This means that during individual auditions, at least two members of the Production team should be present.
  3. Only people with a direct stake in the cast of the show should be present during casting. This would usually mean the Director, the Assistant Director(s), Movement Director, Musical Director, and/or Choreographer. If the show team thinks it is appropriate, they can also ask one of the Welfare Contacts to be present at casting.

5.7. Mentoring

  1. The Production Team is supported by the Committee, specifically the Productions Coordinator, Technical Coordinator, and one or more Committee Mentors, who are assigned by the Committee to each Project.
  2. The Productions Coordinator makes sure the production runs smoothly and can help with questions related to producing, such as tickets and rights.
  3. The Technical Coordinator helps the Production Team with matters related to tech, set and backstage.
  4. The Committee Mentors make sure everyone on the Production Team is doing okay and are available for all other questions. They make sure the Production Team does not miss anything that is not already covered by the Coordinator, and give regular updates to the Committee.

5.8. Welfare Contacts

  1. Every Production Team has to elect one or more Welfare Contacts from amongst themselves. This cannot be the Director or any of the lead creatives of the project. The election must happen within one week after the proposal has been accepted at the GM.
  2. Additionally, the cast must also elect one or more Welfare Contacts from amongst themselves. This must happen within two weeks after the casting has been completed. The earlier, the better. The Production Team cannot be involved in this vote and cannot influence the decision.
  3. The Welfare Contacts have to make themselves known to the Company Welfare Contacts for additional instruction.

5.9. Suspension

  1. If the Society deems a show to have acted against the criteria outlined above, a Standard Motion can be submitted to suspend a show. If there is no General Meeting scheduled within an adequate time frame, it is recommended that the motion is accompanied by a petition to organise an EGM. The Production Team can defend themselves at the General Meeting before the vote takes place. 
  2. The Committee can also temporarily suspend a show that has acted against the criteria outlined above until a vote can take place at a General Meeting, where the company can confirm the suspension or reject it. If there is no GM scheduled within 21 days, the Committee must schedule one. This temporary suspension has to be approved by a two-thirds majority of the Committee.

5.10. Fringe

  1. The Society aims to take at least one production to the Edinburgh Fringe every year.
  2. The Fringe show must be selected during Semester 2.
  3. If the Committee deems the Society can support more shows going to Fringe, they may choose to do so, but they should not feel obliged to in any way.

Article 6: Finance

6.1. Finance Policy

  1. The financial year shall run from 1st April to 31st March.
  2. The Society shall be non-profit making. The Office Bearers and members may only receive payment, direct or indirect, as reimbursement for legitimate expenses.
  3. The Treasurer must aim to ensure that the expenditure of any given year is not more than the income of that year.
  4. Any reserves at the end of the Financial Year shall be carried over into reserves for the following Financial Year.
  5. A loss carried forward into the following financial year must be noted and explained at the Annual General Meeting.

Article 7: Policy

7.1. Re-registration, Annual Reports and Financial Reports

  1. Re-registration of the society must be submitted in accordance with the deadlines set by the Activities Team.
  2. Annual and Financial Reports must be completed and submitted as part of the re-registration process following the AGM in the second semester.

7.2. Society Status

  1. A Society may not register to obtain any legal status, including a limited company or a charitable status.

7.3 Equal Opportunities Policy

  1. The Society shall uphold and maintain its policy on the equality of opportunity as defined in the Equal Opportunities Policy.
    1. The Society will take all necessary steps to ensure that their meetings, events and socials are accessible to all.
    2. The Society will ensure that it complies with any relevant data protection legislation.
    3. The Society believes that discrimination or harassment, direct or indirect, based on a person’s gender, age (except where it relates to licensing laws), race, skin colour, nationality, religious belief, socio-economic background, disability, HIV status, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, family situation, domestic responsibilities or any other irrelevant distinction, is detrimental to the society, the university and wider society, and will not be tolerated.            
    4. The Students’ Association has a Zero Tolerance policy for sexual harassment and violence. This means that any case of sexual harassment or violence will be escalated to the final disciplinary stage (removal). Appeals will go through the formal complaints process of the Students’ Association.
    5. The Students’ Association understands harassment to include all forms, whether expressed orally, in writing, or on any cyber or digital platform.
    6. The Society shall abide by any applicable laws, bye-laws and guidelines of the Edinburgh University Students’ Association in relation to recognised Societies.

Article 8: Dissolution

8.1. Dissolution of the Society

  1. The Society can be dissolved by a Special Motion submitted to a General Meeting. This motion must be submitted at least two weeks in advance, and then published by the Committee at least 10 days in advance.
  2. All funds remaining after the payment of all debts and liabilities following such a resolution shall be passed on to a charitable organisation having goals similar to those of the Society, to be decided on at the same General Meeting.